The Senate hearings on the proposed creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) are expected to resume after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 24, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ. , 3rd District) said Monday, July 3.
Benitez is one of the authors of House Bill 7355, creating the Negros Island Region composed of the provinces of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and Siquijor, which was approved by the Lower House in March.
The passage of a counterpart measure in the Senate is needed before the creation of the NIR can be signed into law by the president.
They are just waiting for the Senate hearing, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito informed him that when the Senate resumes its sessions after the SONA the NIR will be taken up, Benitez said.
“The filing (of the bill) in the Senate is simpler that filing in the Lower House. They will have to decide which version and how to push it forward,” he added.
Benitez said he believes Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria is for the NIR.
“The concern of Negros Oriental is that they will be constantly outvoted by Occidental because it is bigger. I think there are ways to address this issue of representation,” Benitez said.
In the House version of the NIR bill the Department of the Interior and Local Government will lead a task force to come up with a win-win solution, he said.
Former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo was against the creation of the NIR.*